Section 5 KCanG · Cologne
Cannabis no-consumption zones in Cologne
Where can you smoke weed in Cologne – and where can't you? The map below shows every cannabis no-consumption zone in Cologne under Section 5 of Germany's Cannabis Act: schools, children's playgrounds, daycare centers, youth facilities and publicly accessible sports grounds, each with the 100-meter radius around its entrance. On top of that, consumption in pedestrian zones is banned between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
No-consumption zones in Cologne on the map
- School
- Kindergarten
- Daycare center
- Playground
- Sports facility
- Other
This map is just the preview – get the full feature set for free in the app.
Well-known places
Well-known places in Cologne: where can you smoke?
Landmark, park or shopping street: this is how we assess well-known places in Cologne under § 5 KCanG – each with its own map extract.
Cologne Cathedral & Domplatte
The Domplatte is a pedestrian area – so consumption is likely prohibited there between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
The Domplatte between the cathedral and the central station is Cologne’s best-known meeting point, and our map draws it as a pedestrian area. That brings the 7 a.m.–8 p.m. window under § 5(2) no. 5 KCanG into play. Facility zones sit a little further off: according to our map data the nearest daycare centre is about 260 metres away and a children’s and youth office about 280. On the neighbouring station premises Deutsche Bahn’s house rules apply as well, and the steps up to the Domplatte are busy almost around the clock.
Rheinboulevard & old-town riverbank
Our map draws no facility zone on the great steps – but parts of the riverbank are a pedestrian area.
The wide flight of steps on the Deutz side is one of the city’s favourite spots at sunset. According to our map data there is no facility zone in the immediate area of the steps; a playground and a daycare centre only follow a good 220 metres away. Parts of the riverside promenade are designated pedestrian areas, though, so the 7 a.m.–8 p.m. ban applies there – meaning the legal picture eases in the evening, when the steps are fullest. Full also means plenty of people about, often teenagers.
Schildergasse & Hohe Straße
Schildergasse counts as one of Germany’s busiest shopping streets – as a pedestrian zone, the 7 a.m.–8 p.m. ban is likely to apply there.
Schildergasse and Hohe Straße form Cologne’s central shopping axis and have been a pedestrian zone for decades. Where one is designated, the ban under § 5(2) no. 5 KCanG applies daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.; after the shops close the picture eases. Independently of that, our map draws a publicly accessible sports facility a good 30 metres from the centre of this extract – and its 100-metre zone applies around the clock. A further educational site follows about 240 metres on.
Rheinpark
According to our map data several sports areas sit right inside the Rheinpark – but open meadows remain between them.
The Rheinpark on the Deutz side is Cologne’s big park, with the Tanzbrunnen, a cable car and wide lawns. Parks are not banned across the board under the KCanG – what matters are the facilities: according to our map data two sports areas lie about 50 and 60 metres from this map extract, and the Rheinpark playground just under 200. Their 100-metre radii cover a noticeable share of the park, with larger meadows carrying no drawn zone in between. During events at the Tanzbrunnen the operator’s house rules apply as well.
Stadtgarten & Belgian Quarter
At the centre of this extract our map draws no zone in the Stadtgarten – but sports areas, a playground and a school lie nearby.
The Stadtgarten on the edge of the Belgian Quarter is a scene hangout with a beer garden and a concert stage. According to our map data the central lawn stays clear of drawn zones, but within 300 metres there are several sports facilities – the nearest about 140 metres away – a playground a good 210 metres off and an educational institution around 220. Because the quarter is densely built up, the picture changes a street away. The beer garden itself is subject to the operator’s house rules.
All assessments are based on our current map data and can change at any time – new facilities create new no-consumption zones. What counts is the situation on the ground; the live map above and the app always show the current data.
Data sheet
Cologne's no-consumption zones in numbers
In central Cologne alone, the Verbotszonen App tracks the following facilities that each carry a no-consumption zone:
- 321School
- 345Kindergarten
- 0Daycare center
- 693Playground
- 816Sports facility
- 40Other
- 2,215facilities in total
Figures cover the inner city of Cologne (map extent), data source OpenStreetMap. Each facility creates a no-consumption zone with a 100-meter radius around its entrance.
Pedestrian zones
From what time can you smoke in Cologne? Pedestrian zones and the 7-to-8 rule
In pedestrian zones, cannabis consumption is banned daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. under § 5(2) no. 5 KCanG – from 8 p.m. it is generally permitted there, unless another no-consumption zone applies. What always counts is how the area is designated on the ground. Well-known pedestrian areas in Cologne include:
- Schildergasse
- Hohe Straße
- Ehrenstraße
- Breite Straße
Common questions
Smoking weed in Cologne: the rules
Where is cannabis consumption allowed in Cologne?
Consumption is allowed in Cologne anywhere no zone under Section 5 KCanG applies: more than 100 meters from the entrances of schools, playgrounds, daycare centers, youth facilities and sports grounds, outside pedestrian zones during the 7 a.m.–8 p.m. ban, and never in the immediate presence of minors. The map shows every zone in Cologne at a glance.
Can you smoke weed in the Schildergasse pedestrian zone?
Schildergasse is one of the well-known pedestrian areas in Cologne. Where a pedestrian zone is designated, the ban under § 5(2) no. 5 KCanG applies daily between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. – in the evening and at night consumption is generally allowed there, unless another no-consumption zone applies, such as a school or daycare within sight. Whether an individual stretch is actually designated a pedestrian zone can vary; the signage on the ground is what binds.
How many no-consumption zones does Cologne have?
In central Cologne alone, the Verbotszonen App tracks 2,215 facilities, each creating a no-consumption zone with a 100-meter radius – including 321 schools and 693 playgrounds. Across the whole city there are considerably more.
Can you smoke weed on the Rhine bank?
According to our map data the Rhine bank is free of drawn no-consumption zones over long stretches – at the Rheinboulevard, for instance, the nearest facility is a good 220 metres away. Two things to watch: parts of the riverside promenade are designated pedestrian areas, where the ban runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and in the Rheinpark on the Deutz side sports areas and the playground create their own 100-metre zones. And as everywhere: never in the immediate presence of minors.
Always with you
The Cologne no-consumption zones in the app
The map here is only a preview: the free Verbotszonen App shows you live, on the go, which no-consumption zones are near you – in Cologne and all across Germany.
No-consumption zones in other cities
- No-consumption zones in Berlin
- No-consumption zones in Hamburg
- No-consumption zones in Munich
- No-consumption zones in Nuremberg
- No-consumption zones in Augsburg
- No-consumption zones in Stuttgart
- No-consumption zones in Frankfurt
- No-consumption zones in Hanover
- No-consumption zones in Karlsruhe
- No-consumption zones in Dresden
- No-consumption zones in Essen